Didn't Have Much At Christmas

Christmas means a lot of different things to different people. One Christmas, my husband and I were really down on our luck, but I am a firm believer in things happen for a reason. I also believe that Christmas isn't about charge cards and buying and material things.

We were sitting at the table and my husband and I were talking to the boys and they asked if we were going to put a tree up this year. I told them money was real tight but we would see what we could do. My husband asked them to make a list of what they wanted for Christmas and something they remember from their childhood.

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The next morning, the boys handed us the list and headed out to do chores. My husband and I read the list and began to laugh. You see, their gifts would be something we already had. Our oldest said he remembers riding his bike and jumping the culverts and losing his wheel and tire in the air. Our youngest remembers taking all the graphics off his used bike and redoing it and making it his own. He wants paint to redo his bike and also wants to redo his brother's bike so he will redo both. In the garage, there is a wheel and tire and paint and tape. It has been there waiting just in case the time came when it might be needed.

That night about midnight, we heard a noise and saw some light so we got up to check. Our boys solved our tree problem. We have a little evergreen tree out in front of the house and they took the lights and garland and dressed that tree up nice. I think that is the best that tree ever looked. In case you are wondering, my oldest son did get my youngest son a gift, a furry little rabbit.

I will never fall into the guilt trap corporate America would impose on us if we can't afford to give everyone everything they would like to have for Christmas. I see you haven't fallen into that trap, either.

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My Mother told me that when she was a small child, all her combined Christmas gifts usually consisted of an apple or orange, and maybe one or two sticks of peppermint candy. She grew into a wonderful woman and was never affected by her meager Christmases.

Loved your story! You are absolutely right that Christmas is not about going into debt for expensive gifts. I was raised in the country and we were poor. Daddy always went out in the woods and cut us a tree and we decorated it with love and what we had. We always got something, but it was the happiness and joy that surrounded our home at Christmas Time that I remember so fondly.

Thank you so much for such a wonderful story! We were very poor growing up.There were seven of us kids,so we usually just got some fruit and little candy for Christmas.I had begged for years for a new pair of shoes to no avail,as my parents could not afford new shoes for us.In 1959 we lived a few miles outside a small town in the Mississippi Delta.That was the best Christmas ever! I got my new pair of shoes! I was so proud of them.Unfortunately,two weeks later our old house caught on fire from the make do stove,made from an old metal barrel!

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Mama and daddy were in town with my sister who was having her tonsils taken out.I was watching my younger brothers and sisters.If a man had not come banging on the door,we probably would have died that day. Now none of us had anything,nothing could be saved from the fire.The man that we worked for had an old empty house that we could live in!Neighbors from near and far brought us food,clothing and household items. In the next town over,a general merchandise store owner let us come pick out one item for each of us (God Bless Him). I was able to get me another new pair of shoes! Thank You Lord! God is Good!!